Monday, September 15, 2008

MORE THAN IT HURTS YOU Book Club Discussion

Welcome to the first-ever LROD book club. As you know, we are discussing More Than It Hurts You by Darin Strauss because some of the LROD mice unfairly criticized the man without having read his book, a fact pointed out by Darin himself who was kind enough to show us our errant ways.

I will start the discussion today with a few of my own thoughts on the book, which ultimately won me over. When Strauss is at his most relaxed writing, he creates a very compelling story. However, in this particular book, it seems to take him quite a while before he hit his stride. In fact, during the early part of the novel, Strauss seems overly self-conscious, his writing a bit artificial, at times even smirky. For me, More Than It Hurts You did not actually take off until about page 96, which is, alas, a long way to go.

What happens in the first 95 pages is a lot of posturing and trying to settle in, a bit of searching, which can lead to some graceless and unconvincing sentences: "She was prim as Popeye's Olive Oyle, with the same shapeless frankfurter torso;" and "She fired a huff from the cannon of her nose." Phrases like "raising a Clooney eyebrow" and "a tantrum-repelling calm" really clog up the works.

A better editor would have served this author well by going through and cutting everything inside the ubiquitous parentheses because they work to slow down the pace of the novel and reveal the author's unsubtle hand. Clever asides, such as the ones found in More Than It Hurts You, tend to suggest a smirking attitude toward the characters, or the novel, or even the fact that fiction is an artifice--never a good idea.

Finally, in the criticism column, the prison-release bus chapter, where Muhammad, our doctor/hero's father, gets out of jail, is something of a train wreck in terms of tone and overwriting. Here Strauss needs the lightest of light touches, but he seems to go at the scene with a pick axe and shovel.

All that said, Strauss does get the marriage of the Goldin's just right. He tackles complex issues with a delicate balance, and convincingly renders parental feelings during a crisis. By page 97, I was totally in for the ride, especially won over by the author's efficient portrayal of his female characters: Dr. Darlene Stokes and Dori Goldin, who is, let's face it, a difficult character to nail. (I have a very minor character in my novel with a similar penchant for munchausen, though my character's reasons are very different. Still: I know first hand that it's not easy.) For me, everything about Dori Goldin seems exactly right on the mark, and happily the narrative satisfies her story completely.

Strauss handles the ending quite masterfully, I thought, by following the startling legal decision with an emotionally keen conclusion for Dr. Stokes and Josh Goldin and finally the Goldin marriage, that seems just right.

By the last page, I was genuinely impressed.

In my humble opinion, if Strauss can pull back a bit on the overwriting, he can avoid the sentences that get in the way of what he does best, which is unfolding a complex, interesting story about human emotions that are put to the test.

So, that is my two cents. Now let's hear what the mice have to say. In your opinion, how successful was Strauss' book? What were his strengths? What were his weaknesses? Has your opinion of his success as a celebrated author changed in any way? Has he earned the confident smile from his author photo?

8 comments:

heynonnynonymous
said...

A pick axe and a shovel is a bit overstated. I really didn't mind his writing style as much as you did. I liked the pop culture references (Mr. Magoo, Olive Oyle, etc.) and his unique way of seeing things, which you call overwriting. At the same time, I wasn't half as sold as you were on the way he worked out the plot. I found the whole legal part unbelievable, the fact that the doctor would press her opinion so much with Josh. I wasn't as happy with the ending as you were. But on the whole I enjoyed the book.

Aw, I think it maybe needs to be live chat to work well? That, and I need to have actually read the book to join in. I just didn't get it together - too many words to read, too little time. But I enjoyed reading your summation, WR, obviously you put a lot of thought into it. Interesting that you used the word "smirk" more than once - I think "smirky" was the description of the author photo that sparked the cries of protest. Since I haven't yet read the book, I can only continue to comment on the photo... But I'll stop myself. Except to say it's now so familiar that I feel like he's someone I know (and like! Really, really like!).

Glad you had productive times in the woods, I envy you! But I wonder if it broke the habit of your blog for the otherwise-would-be book club members...

I enjoyed reading the book quite a bit, even if the experience was complicated by real questions about the plausibility of the plot. Would a Munchhausen's mother flee the emergency room and NOT want her child to undergo testing? The whole point of that disorder, I've always been led to believe, is getting attention from medical personnel. And would a doctor make accusations about it after *one* questionable visit??

I thought the plot would have been much more interesting if we as readers didn't know whether Dori was guilty or not -- if we only had access to Josh's thoughts and the doctor's. Instead we KNOW she's guilty, so Josh's faith in his wife just seems stupid. Does that make sense? I don't see the point of getting Dori's thoughts, since they don't really explain anything anyway.

And yeah, the writing could have used a good shaking out. (That Olive Oyl line really stuck in my craw!)

That said, it was an absorbing novel. I liked the character of Darlene Stokes -- kind of wish it was her story instead. Maybe she and Josh could have gotten together...? Heh heh.

I liked the book a lot, too; in fact, I though the jail scene was impressive. He showed a world that seems far removed from his own, and did so with lyrical writing. You guys didn't go for it? I guess that's what makes horse races.

But one question: what's actually wrong with the Olive Oyl line? It's evocative, and it does what Nabokov says a metaphor should. It's really condensed and it helps us visualize what's being discussed. It seems original. Plus, it made me laugh. Can't ask much more from a metaphor. What am I missing?

Nabakov? Seriously? The Olive Oyle simile inelegantly shorthands an entire character (secondary character, but still) into a cheap pop culture reference. For me, this takes away from the nuance of good literary fiction. Too blunt, too easy, too cartoonish. But as you say, to each his own.

Rules of the Game

4) Be nice to one another. The world is already overpopulated with asses.

Guess What?

After 15 years of rejections (most of them posted here along with all the rejections you've sent me over the years), my novel is getting published by a literary press. Little third-gendered me will soon have a book you can read for yourself and see if the hundreds of rejections were misguided or not. For more on the matter, read this post and this one too.

People Magazine Picks Miracle Girls

What the What? (This is actually for real.)

ew.com blog review

"Failure is the New Funny. Whether you're a writer ... or a bookworm ... Literary Rejections on Display is worth checking out."

Huff Po Compliment

"A highly entertaining blog."

The Millions Assesses

"An answer to what to do with your rejections: throw them away, but first, complain about them on the internet!"

Gawker Gawks LROD

"A reminder of the competitive pressures that help drive some authors to start plagiarizing and making things up."

GALLEYCAT Chimes In

"Excellent blog."

The Boston Phoenix Rises

"Might we suggest whiling away the hours with Literary Rejections On Display? We've been hooked for the last couple of weeks..."

Psych Today Puts LROD On The Couch

"An author who, like the rest of us, experiences many more rejections than acceptances."

Blogher Offers a Female Nod

"And since something isn't really something until there's a blog about it, I give you Literary Rejections on Display."

Poets & Writers Questions LROD

"Isn't it part of the writer's job to learn from--rather than reject--rejection?"

HTML GIANT Confesses

"I am sort of addicted to this site. I go through phases: I check it regularly, then I stop myself and ignore it for several months. Then I remember it again and sift through its wreckage."

The Village Voice Bitches About LROD

"Deliberately composed of unpublished individuals who wear their rejection slips as badges of integrity."

Cape Cod Times Gets the Joke

"Caschetta’s wit sparkles in “Literary Rejections on Display,” a humorous and intelligent look at the literary world"